AJ Piejko-Brown

Companies often treat print as an afterthought: • “We need business cards.” • “Get the packaging updated.” • “Trade show is in two weeks. We need brochures.” It becomes a task to complete, not a tool to leverage. But if there’s: No clear purpose... No connection to a campaign... No alignment with the brand or sales goals... Then it’s not just noise, it’s a sunk cost with no ROI. Coming from a sales background outside of the print industry, I’ve been on the receiving end. I know what it’s like to be handed marketing tools that fall short. Attractive and colorful? Sure.  Helpful and effective? Not really. As "IRON" Mike Steadman 🥊🏴‍☠️ likes to ask, “Is it a hammer in search of a nail?” What if we flipped the script? What if we treated print as a strategic asset; something intentional, aligned, and built to drive results? That’s the conversation I believe we should be having. Print isn’t a line item. It’s a lever. And you’re either using it to drive growth, or you’re not. Intention. Not just ink. #PrintStrategy #GrowthMarketing #VeteranOwnedBusiness #EmergingBrands #PrintWithPurpose Custom Marketing Solutions LLC (Veteran Owned: DVOB)

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Tariffs. Tighter margins. Shrinkflation. Here are 3 label trends I’m seeing as brands adapt to rising printed packaging costs 👇 1. PPA = More Jobs, Not Fewer Price Pack Architecture (PPA) changes mean brands will resize and repackage, often requiring new label sizes that aren’t on inventory shelves. (Think: shrinking from a 16 oz to 14 oz container but keeping the product price at $4.99.) →That means new label orders, even for the same product →Opportunity for converters who can move fast 2. Substrate Know-How Becomes Even More of a Superpower With price pressures rising, brands are telling us they’re actively looking for more cost-effective materials. Converters who are masters at labelstock performance and are really good at educating clients on trade-offs will have an advantage. → “Here’s how to save 12% without sacrificing appearance” →“Let’s re-spec your label with a new film that performs just as well” 3. SKU Cuts Could Mean a Flexo Bump As brands consolidate SKUs, volumes will concentrate more on core products, and those runs get longer. This could mean: →Fewer short-run jobs for legacy products →A quiet comeback for flexo on core product lines →More value placed on print consistency + efficiency We're entering another new chapter in printed packaging buying behavior, seatbelts fastened? #LabelLeaders #TLMI #flexo #digitalprint #FTA 

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🎨 6 Things Designers Do That Printers Secretly Fix First — designers make packaging look incredible. This isn’t a knock. But behind the scenes, there are a few quiet corrections that happen more often than people realize. Here are 6 we see regularly: 1️⃣ 4CP Black Text Small type built in CMYK instead of 100% K. Looks fine on screen. On press? Registration risk. 2️⃣ Hairline Rules Anything under .25pt may disappear — especially on uncoated or kraft. 3️⃣ RGB Files Screens glow. Paper doesn’t. That neon blue? Not happening in CMYK. 4️⃣ No Bleed If it touches the edge, it needs bleed. Otherwise you’re flirting with white slivers. 5️⃣ CMYK Barcodes Barcodes should be solid black. Multi-color builds create scanning issues. 6️⃣ Keylines Hidden Under Dielines On screen it looks clean. On press? That hidden rule shows up when the dieline layer gets removed or separated. Suddenly there’s a white line that was hiding behind the dieline layer. None of this is about “wrong.” Most of it looks perfect digitally. But printing is mechanical. Ink moves. Paper shifts. Plates stretch. And layers don’t forgive mistakes. That’s why design + prepress collaboration early in the process saves everyone time (and reprints). Curious — what’s the most common file issue you still see today? #PrintProduction #PackagingDesign #OffsetPrinting #Prepress #MedicalDeviceIndustry #BrandConsistency

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Another packaging myth to bust 👇 "FDA Approved Packaging" That phrase sounds official. It also does not mean what people think it means. The FDA does not approve packaging plants. It does not approve packaging SKUs. It does not tour your supplier’s factory and give a thumbs-up. What actually exists are food contact substance regulations and letters tied to specific materials and use conditions. Everything else is paperwork, interpretation, and trust. So when someone says “FDA approved,” the real question is not about the FDA. It is whether you trust the supplier and whether you have ever stood on their floor and watched how they operate 👀 #Packaging

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Before every print run, conduct a plate test (Print Test Sheet) with at least 500 dots across a 0 to 5 percent gradient to identify the stable Minimum Dot. This process follows standards like Ugra Plate Control Wedge and prevents material waste. Always reference Fogra or G7 curves as the baseline to achieve predictable and repeatable results. Logging results in the digital workflow enables traceability and optimization in future projects. Reducing Minimum Dot excessively without press calibration and substrate testing causes print instability and higher ink consumption. Use X-Rite eXact for direct measurement on press and store results within the color management system. This method keeps production aligned with global standards and ensures long-term print quality and process efficiency. Aligned with: ISO 12647 / Ugra / X-Rite

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Reason number five to use embellishments on print work. 5. Personalization Capabilities Variable data printing combined with embellishment creates powerful personalized experiences. Imagine sending 500 thank-you notes with each recipient's name in shimmering foil, or customer appreciation materials with personalized embellished elements.

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Curious about how functional inks are powering the future of printed electronics? In this insightful article, Erika Rebrosova at Sun Chemical demystifies the critical role functional inks play in enabling next-generation electronic applications. From conductive and dielectric inks to the challenges of formulation, performance, and integration, this piece breaks down complex concepts into clear, practical insights. Whether you're involved in materials science, product development, or advanced manufacturing, this is a must-read for understanding how innovation in ink technology is shaping printed electronics. 📖 Discover how chemistry meets cutting-edge technology — and why functional inks are more important than ever: https://lnkd.in/eaDd4Mxt #PrintedElectronics #FunctionalInks #AdvancedMaterials #ElectronicsManufacturing #Innovation #MaterialsScience #SunChemical https://lnkd.in/eaDd4Mxt

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